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iPad Pro Bought an iPad Pro 12.9, Exchanging for 11”

mwhals

mwhals

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 16, 2012
429
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I bought the iPad Pro 12.9 256 GB on sale at Best Buy this week and find it too big on the couch or bed due to our four cats. It is too big in portrait mode on the couch too. I guess I never thought I needed more screen than my past 9.7” and 10.5” iPads. I am exchanging it for the 11” 512 GB for the same price.

Who else has moved from the 12.9 to the 11?
 
Contrary to popular wisdom, always buy the smallest device you can live with. I only go to larger devices when the hardware limitations of the smaller devices force me to go bigger to get my minimum arbitrary performance threshold.

I am going to start ditching larger phones very soon. Phones are so big now days i have to take the darn things out of my pocket in order to bend over and tie my shoe (ridiculous). I'd rather have a small phone for every where and a mini tablet for just when i know ill need it than to have to deal with a phablet EVERY WHERE, all the time.

In the 90s and early 2000s we had high end cell phones could be purchased about the size of a small milky way candy bar and it was awesome. I am for moving voice calling, texting, music and GPS nav full onto watches like the Gear S and then only carrying something like a mini when i know ill have time to browse. They need to make a mini fully functional with all the top gear and high end specs while also throwing in mouse support and a usable file system but i know they will take another 20 years to get around to what could be done tomorrow.
 
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Allentown72 said:
Contrary to popular wisdom, always buy the smallest device you can live with. I only go to larger devices when the hardware limitations of the smaller devices force me to go bigger to get my minimum arbitrary performance threshold.

I am going to start ditching larger phones very soon. Phones are so big now days i have to take the darn things out of my pocket in order to bend over and tie my shoe (ridiculous). I'd rather have a small phone for every where and a mini tablet for just when i know ill need it than to have to deal with a phablet EVERY WHERE, all the time.

In the 90s and early 2000s we had high end cell phones could be purchased about the size of a small milky way candy bar and it was awesome. I am for moving voice calling, texting, music and GPS nav full onto watches like the Gear S and then only carrying something like a mini when i know ill have time to browse. They need to make a mini fully functional with all the top gear and high end specs while also throwing in mouse support and a usable file system but i know they will take another 20 years to get around to what could be done tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I have the 10.5 iPP and like that size - I felt the 12.9" to be too big for my use. On the phone side, I recently got the XS Max and love the size. It's all personal preference, no real truisms.
 
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I upgraded from the 9.7 IPP. Thought the new, smaller 12.9 would be perfect for me. It wasn't. I exchanged it for an 11 that I adore.
 
11” is about my Limit for a Tablet. 13” and bigger that’s full fledged Laptop size, and features.

As Steve Job said, computing devices are like the automobile industry different vehicles for different tasks. Trucks do something’s well, cars do other things well, motorcycles do other things.

For me it’s,

Cellphone,
Tablet,
Laptop,
Gaming Desktop and a must Gaming 144Hz Monitor FreeSync
(New addition small PC like a MacMini, on a 4K 55” TV)
 
I went the other way: exchanged an 11” for the 12.9. For me, it was the right move: I’m delighted every time I use the 12.9 (like now, in my lap on the couch). It really is a very personal decision. While many find that the 11" is more comfortable for couch use, the 11" always slid off at odd angles for me: I always had to hold it in my hand. The 12.9 rests much more naturally in my lap. While the 12.9 at first seems large at lunch or coffee shops, I saw that many had large laptops on their tables, so I just prop the iPad up with the folio, and I'm not self conscious about it anymore.
 
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TheRealAlex said:
11” is about my Limit for a Tablet. 13” and bigger that’s full fledged Laptop size, and features.

As Steve Job said, computing devices are like the automobile industry different vehicles for different tasks. Trucks do something’s well, cars do other things well, motorcycles do other things.

For me it’s,

Cellphone,
Tablet,
Laptop,
Gaming Desktop and a must Gaming 144Hz Monitor FreeSync
(New addition small PC like a MacMini, on a 4K 55” TV)
Click to expand...


I’m with you on the gaming desktop thing. But, after I got my iPad 11” I started gaming a lot on just my iPad.

Sitting at a desk to much before. I’ve found the new iPad Pro 11” 1TB a very fun experience. iOS gaming has improved so much.
 
I find the 12.9 way too cumbersome for couch surfing and casual browsing, so the 11 inch is the perfect size for me. I have a 15” laptop for when I need a lot of screen real estate.
 
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Best Buy told me the iPad Pro 11 256 GB would be available today, then it was this Friday. Now, it is delayed further and the order will be cancelled if not fulfilled by May 2nd. My current iPad is sold as I already have the money and the transfer will be this Saturday. That puts me with no iPad for who knows how long.

Do I pay $50 more and get it from Amazon or do I pay $150 more and get it from Apple? Both can get it to me this week.
 
Ive been trying to figure this out for the past month and a half. Started with the 11" from Costco and loved it. A month in I started wondering if I should have gone bigger. Costco has a 90 day return on apple products so I went last week and bought the 12.9". The first few days I thought for sure I was going to return it because it was so big. Now, completely love it and am taking the 11 back to the store. I'm a pretty big guy which might play into a little. But I dont even notice the size any more and the screen is amazing. Also, with it not being TOO big a price difference, I think the 12.9 holds some value in terms of iOS 13 update if its as good as we hear it might be. I didn't want the new OS to come out with a ton of features that make the ipp more like a laptop and wish I had gotten the bigger screen.
 
mwhals said:
Best Buy told me the iPad Pro 11 256 GB would be available today, then it was this Friday. Now, it is delayed further and the order will be cancelled if not fulfilled by May 2nd. My current iPad is sold as I already have the money and the transfer will be this Saturday. That puts me with no iPad for who knows how long.

Do I pay $50 more and get it from Amazon or do I pay $150 more and get it from Apple? Both can get it to me this week.
Click to expand...

I went through a similar situation, I sold my last 11” iPad Pro 64GB used on eBay, then I was buying a brand new 1TB 12.9” on eBay from a member I had communicated with, and arranged it all. So, I shipped mine to its new owner. Then the seller of the 1TB 12.9” backed out at the last second and refunded me. I ended up finding another 1TB model, and it was an 11” and sealed so I bought that one instead. But I originally had everything planned perfect, and instead I was without an iPad for a few extra days.

I paid $1,329 shipped for my 1TB cellular model. I think you should exhaust all resources and get the most iPad you can for your budget no matter who it comes from. As long as it is new, and sealed up, you’ll be fine. Your budget looking at 11” 512GB models is putting you very close. This is what I would do, more resale value, and just a good long term device with a lot of storage space.
 
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tps3443 said:
I’m with you on the gaming desktop thing. But, after I got my iPad 11” I started gaming a lot on just my iPad.

Sitting at a desk to much before. I’ve found the new iPad Pro 11” 1TB a very fun experience. iOS gaming has improved so much.
Click to expand...
Yes graphics in Asphalt 8 vs Asphalt 9 are like Xbox 360 to Xbox One Level
 
I went the other way -- bought an 11" Pro when it came out and just bought a 12.9" a month ago -- though I am keeping the 11"

I use the 12.9" as a laptop alternative for shorter (1-2 week or less) trips. The screen and keyboard on the 11" felt cramped. But on the couch I use the 11".

For longer trips I lug my MacBookPro as there are somethings I can't yet do on the iPad, mostly related to software development (Xcode, Android Studio, etc)
 
mwhals said:
Best Buy told me the iPad Pro 11 256 GB would be available today, then it was this Friday. Now, it is delayed further and the order will be cancelled if not fulfilled by May 2nd. My current iPad is sold as I already have the money and the transfer will be this Saturday. That puts me with no iPad for who knows how long.

Do I pay $50 more and get it from Amazon or do I pay $150 more and get it from Apple? Both can get it to me this week.
Click to expand...

Called Best Buy and they said the iPad shipped and will be ready for pickup tomorrow. It is back ordered, but mine shipped before the back order. They send the same pickup delay language to everyone that ordered an item that goes back ordered.

Interesting that Best Buy is back ordered, but everyone else I checked as it in stock.
 
I also went from the 12.9 to the 11. I really, really wanted to stick with the 12.9 but in the end it was just too large for my use case. Both are great though. I like the aspect ratio of the 12.9 more than the 11.
 
The larger screen size of the 12.9 is a must for me since I mostly use it for work related purposes. For casual consumption I prefer the mini size anyway. For longer video watching (shows and movies), I use my TV.

Allentown72 said:
I am for moving voice calling, texting, music and GPS nav full onto watches like the Gear S and then only carrying something like a mini when i know ill have time to browse.
Click to expand...
I’m with you regarding using the smallest device I can. But I don’t consider the watch adequate for anything beyond notifications, glances, and a quick siri query. The tiny screen can only show a couple words and controls at a time, but the even larger issue is that the watch requires one to keep their entire arm lifted while interacting with it, which quickly becomes tiring. I think AR glasses are the only devices on the horizon that may be able to replace phones.
Although the watch plus bluetooth headphones might work if you want to go mainly audio UI.
 
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